Lock.



A. WOMAGK.

LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911.

1,084,058.. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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Inventor Attorneys COLUMBIA PLAN 000000000000000000000000 C KTMTED 8TATE8 PATENT ALEXANDER VIOMACK, 0F EMIVIETT, IDAHO.

LOCK.

Application filed November 6, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WOMACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emmett, in the county of Canyon and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Lock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide novel means for controlling the brake pressure 011 the tumbler of a lock and for simultaneously controlling the spring pressure on the locking bolt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invent-ion.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 shows in perspective, a receptacle equipped with the lock of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevation of the door of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation of the inside of the door, showing in detail, the locking mechanism constituting the subject-matter of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a section upon the line AB of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a section upon the line GD of Fig. 3.

The device forming the subject-matter of this application, is adapted to be employed for a wide variety of purposes, primarily, however, in connection with post-office mail boxes. I am aware that a specific form of box cannot be claimed in the same application with the specific form of lock, and therefore, 1 have shown the box as of simple form, in order that the details of the lock may not be obscured by matter conferring no patentable novelty upon the lock itself.

In the drawings, there is shown a receptacle 1., which may be of any form, and which may be employed for any purpose, the receptacle 1 including a door 2, hingedly mounted as shown at 3, the door 2 constituting the support for the lock mechanism to be described hereinafter. Upon the outer face of the door 2 are inscribed a series of radial graduations i, adapted to be brought, successively, into coincidence with graduations upon a dial 5, equipped with a rearwardly extended tubular bearing 6, extended through the door 2 and rotatably mounted Specification of Letters Patent.

Faten ted Jan. 13, 1914.

Serial No. 658,897.

therein. Mounted upon the inner end of the bearing 6, and within the receptacle 1, is a primary tumbler 7 held in place upon the bearing 6 by means of a set screw 8, the primary tumbler 7 having a notch 9 in its periphery.

Journaled for rotation in the tubular bearing 6 is a spindle 10, carrying upon its outer end, a graduated knob 11, the graduations of which are adapted to be brought into coincidence successively, with the graduations upon the dial 5. Secured to the inner end of the spindle 10, in close relation to the primary tumbler 7, is a secondary tumbler 12, held in place upon the spindle 10 by means of a set screw 14, there being a notch 15 in the periphery of the secondary tumbler 12.

Secured to the inner face of the door 2, are guides 16 and 17, in which is slidably mounted a main locking bolt 18, one end 19 of which is adapted to engage with the striking plate 20, which may be of any form, depending upon the outline given to the receptacle 1, and depending upon the purposes to which the receptacle 1 is to be put. The main locking bolt 18 is equipped along its upper edge with an outstanding projection 21, registering slidably in a slot 22 formed in the adjacent edge of an auxiliary locking bolt 23, the locking bolt 23 being slidably held upon the door 2 by means of the guides 16 and 17. The inner end 2st of the auxiliary locking bolt 23 is adapted to move into the notches 9 and 15 in the tumblers 7 and 12, respectively. The auxiliary locking bolt 23 is provided with a knob 25, slidable in a slot 26 in the door 2, the con struction being such that the auxiliary locking bolt 23 may be manipulated. from the outside of the door. Fixed to and consti tuting a part of the main locking bolt 18, is an inwardly projecting knob 27, whereby the main locking bolt 18 may he slid from the inside of the door 2, independently of the auxiliary locking bolt 23. The knob 27 is adapted to engage one edge of the guide 16, before the projection 21 engages the end wall 28 of the notch 22 in the auxiliary looking bolt 23, and thus the main locking bolt 18 may be slid into unlocked position, from the inside of the door 2, without actuating the auxiliary locking bolt 23. Moreover, the knob 27 will engage with the guide 16, before the end of the main locking bolt 18 is brought into engagement with the tumblers.

Inserted into the inner face of the door 2,

is a screw 29, or like retaining element, holding in place upon the door 2, the intermediate port-ion of a spring, one arm 30 of which is concaved as shown at 31, to bear against the periphery of the tumbler 7. The other arm 32 of the spring is curved, to extend around the tumblers 7 and 12, in spaced relation thereto, the extremity of the arm 32 of the spring being engaged, as shown at 33, with the main locking bolt 18, to hold the locking bolt 18 in advanced position, and in looking engagement with the striking plate 20.

Presupposing that the door 2 is in locked position, the operation of opening the door, from the outside, is as follows: The dial 5 may be rotated, until one of its graduations registers with a graduation 4 upon the door 2, By this operation, the tumbler 7 will be rotated until its notch 9 is positioned to receive the end 24 of the auxiliary locking bolt 23. hen the tumbler 7 is thuspositioned, the tumbler will be held against further rotation, by the frictional engagement between the arm 30 of the spring, and the periphery of the tumbler. The knob 11 may then be rotated, until one of its graduations is alined with one of the graduationsupon the dial 5, this operation serving to aline the notch 15 in the tumbler 12, with the notch 9 in the tumbler 7, and to aline the notch 15 with the end 24: of the secondary locking bolt 23. Owing to the engagement between the arm 30 of the spring, and the primary tumbler 7, the primary tumbler 7 will not be rotated, by the rotation of the secondary tumbler 12. lVhen the notches 9 and 15 are thus alined to receive the end 2 1 of the secondary locking bolt 23, the bolt 23 may be slid inwardly, from the outside of the door 2, by manipulating the knob 25. hen the secondary bolt 23 is slid, the engagement between the wall of the slot 22 and the projection 21, will slide the main locking bolt 18 inwardly, thus withdrawing the end 19 of the main locking bolt from engagement with the striking plate 20, whereupon the door may be swung into open position. As soon as the knob 25 is released, the arm 32 of the spring will thrust the outer end of the main locking bolt 18 into such a position that it will engage automatically with, and look behind, the striking plate 20, when the door 2 is swung into closed position.

Recalling that the device is adapted to be used primarily, upon post-office mail boxes, it will be obvious that it is necessary, at times, to open the door 2, from the interior of the box. This operation may readily be eflected, by seizing the knob 27 and sliding the main locking bolt 18, until it no longer engages with the striking plate 20, whereupon the door may be swung open. The knob 27 is adapted to engage with the guide 16, the guide 16 acting as a stop, to limit the sliding movement of the main locking bolt 18, before the projection 21 has engaged the wall 28 of the notch 22 in the auxiliary locking bolt 23. Thus, the main locking bolt 18 may be manipulated from the inside of the receptacle, without actuating the auxiliary locking bolt 23, wear and tear upon the parts being reduced accordingly. Moreover, the knob 27 will engage with the guide 16, before the end of the main locking bolt 18 strikes the tumblers, and consequently the tumblers may be manipulated readily, for the purpose of adjustment, or the like, when the main locking bolt 18 is held in its extreme retracted position.

hen it is desired to change the combination of the lock, this operation may be effected by loosening the set screws 8 and 14, and by rotating the tumblers 7 and 12; or an adjustment may be effected by loosening the set screw 14 and by rotating the knob 11.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be observed that when the tumbler bolt 23 is retracted by the knob 25, one wall of the slot 22 in the bolt 23 will engage the projection 21 on the locking bolt 18 and retract the same, By this operation, the arm 32 of the spring is put under tension and is bowed transversely, the locking bolt 18 being elevated slightly in the guides 16, by the action of the spring 32. As a consequence, the locking bolt, when the same is retracted, is held by the spring 32 out of contact with the bottom portions of the guides 16, and thus the sliding friction is reduced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a case; a tumbler journaled therein; a locking bolt cooperating with the tumbler; a spring comprising arms, one of'which arms bears upon the tumbler to exert a braking pressure, the other of which arms engages the bolt to move the same away from the tumbler, the spring being adjustable on the case to increase simultaneously, the braking pressure on the tumbler and the pressure on the locking bolt, when the spring becomes weak; and a single clamping device located between the arms and engaged with the arms and with the case to hold the spring fixed against movement and in adjusted positions.

in testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ttffiXG-(l my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER i/VOMACK.

Witnesses D. H. Roor, BERT SI-IERARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

